It will be very interesting to see if Verizon -- who are replacing copper plant which FCC requires then to provide equal access to with fiber plant owned by an unregulated subsidiary which is not so required -- attempt to get the feds to pay for some of it in the bargain.

(Verizon, who has *gotten it made illegal in some states* for local municipalities to own and rent out fiber last mile networks, has otherwise stopped installing new FiOS networks, I am told. If you ain't got FiOS in your town, you're not getting it.)